Solo Drift Dives - Share your tricks

[DeepBound]

How do you do solo drift dives? The main problem that I see is that the dive ends far away from your car.

I've found a trick: I bring a wagon, lock it up at the exit point, carry the key for the wagon lock (and my car key) with me, and drive to the entry point and dive, then lug everything back to the car in the wagon. Sometimes it's far.

Any other ideas?

 

[Steele]

Stow a 10-Speed in the wagon and tow it back.

 

[Cacia]

use a boat with a captain?

get a nice woman to drop you off and wait for you with lunch and a beer?

 

[amascuba]

Catherine,

Will you drop me off and wait for me with lunch and beer? I guess to get the full affect of that question you would have to see me batting my eye's huh?

As far as the solo question goes, how about towing a dpv behind you during the drift and riding the dpv up current back to the entry point?

 

[DeepBound]

use a boat with a captain?

get a nice woman to drop you off and wait for you with lunch and a beer?

You're lucky that your boat lets you solo dive... I don't think I can go anywhere near a boat without a buddy

A woman to wait for me with a beer.. oh my, I should be so lucky!



How about a way to lock up your gear at the exit point and walk back to the car? Is there any way to lock scuba gear?

 

[Brandon]

How about a way to lock up your gear at the exit point and walk back to the car? Is there any way to lock scuba gear?

I've seen steel mesh backpack covers before... you should be able to wrap your gear up in one of those and secure it.

Pac-Safe makes them.... seems like this would be the best option if you need to lock your gear up for a bit:

http://www.pac-safe.com/product.aspx?pId=641

It weighs around a pound depending on the size (with lock). Not sure how well it folds up, or how well it'd handle salt water (probably not well), so you're probably best off staging it at your exit point, like you mentioned.

The cable looks too thin to defeat a determined thief (pretty sure a decent pair of wire cutters will cut the cable), but it'll stop the opportunistic ones.

Alternatively, you could attach a ring onto your tank neck / regulator yoke, and snake a cable lock through all of your gear... but I'm thinking that'd be a big pain in the butt.

 

[hilti]

You'll need a pick-up truck, and some money, but a relatively cheap way to end all the work is to buy a heavier four wheel cart (like from TSC or a garden center, preferably with a plastic cargo tray) then some schedule 10 PVC (six inch, with four end caps) cut the PVC to about four foot and glue and cap the ends for your pontoons. Bungee these to the cart, and wala, you can put all of your gear in it for the trip out or back, tie a rope to it and install a pole for your dive flag and it's your surface marker (it really towes very easy) If you really want to be lazy (like me) you can add some styrofoam layers between the tray and chasis,(for more boyouncy) a car battery (which is on a dual system in my truck) and.......... a min kota motor! Now when your done and half mile offshore getting back is easy. People do tend to stare, but I'm pretty ugly so I like the attention

 

[Cacia]

pretty witty too.

I am so used to the captain tracking me, you guys are the REAL solo divers...takes much better planning and more intestinal fortitude.

My latest tip is checking the captain's fuel gage and asking him if it is round trip this time.

 

[hilti]

Wow, my hood's never gonna fit now

 

[DennisS]

I love my scooter, motor upcurrent, drift back.